Sheet positioning means for printing presses



March 11, 1958 T. KEENE W SHEET POSITIONING MEANS FOR PRINTING PRESSESFiled April-6, 195s INVENTOR. 70 Kasws BY 4 Tram/5y United States Patent2,826,410 SHEET POSITIONING MEANS FOR PRINTING PRESSES Tom Keene,Detroit,Mich. Application April 6,1953, Serial No. 347,086 5 Claims.(Cl. 271-60) This invention relates to gauges and more particularly tofeed gauges for printing presses.

Broadly, the invention comprehends a gauge for a printing presscomprising a pair of corresponding sheet positioning means of simple anddurable structure and of high efliciency.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive sheetpositioning means for printing presses operative to compensating for aninherent differential in the widths of sheets of paper of supposedly thesame size.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sheet positioning meansfor printing presses which may be easily and quickly mounted on the feedboard of a printing press and readily adjusted by finger touch movement.

A further object of the invention is to provide a sheet positioningmeans for printing presses which may be readily advanced or retractedand swung to a desired position.

A feature of the invention is a flat, thin metallic strip having anelongated slot and a pin per se on one end thereof supporting ashiftable sleeve.

Another feature of the invention is a sleeve having slight lateralmovement in all directions.

A further feature of the invention is to provide a sheet positioningmeans for printing presses including a flat metal member having a pin orstud normal thereto and a sleeve loosely mounted on the pin for lateralmovement in all directions.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appearfrom the following description when taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a feed board for a printing pressillustrating the sheet positioning means as mounted thereon; and

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view partly broken away, and partly in section,and illustrating the relationship of the pin and sleeve.

It is well known to those conversant in the art of printing that greatdifficulty is encountered in accurately feeding sheets of paper to aprinting press. This is due principally to slight variations in thewidth of sheets of paper supposedly of the same size and a lack ofsuitable sheet positioning means operative to compensate for thedifferential in width of the sheets.

In the incident invention, a conventional feed board for printingpresses indicated at A has mounted thereon a pair of corresponding sheetpositioning means indicated generally at 10. Each positioning meansincludes a fiat, narrow and relatively thin plate 12 having rounded ends14 and 16 and an elongated slot 18. A pin or stud 20 is mounted on theend 16 of the plate in normal relation thereto and a thin washer 22fitted on the pin is spot welded to the plate. A stout sleeve 24supported on the pin has a larger inner diameter than that of the pin soas to provide for radial movement of the sleeve in all directions, andthe sleeve is held against axial displacement as by a head 26 on thepin.

A bolt 28 having a rounded head 30 is passed through the elongated slot18 and a suitable aperture in the feed board, and the bolt receives athumb nut 32 for clamping the sheet positioning means on the feed board.From the foregoing, it is clear that the sheet positioning means may beadjusted by advancing or retracting or by swinging it on the stationarysupport or bolt 28, and that when adjusted to the desired position withthe washer 22 under the edge of a sheet of paper, the sleeve 24 willmove in any direction in a plane transversely of and normal to the pinto compensate for inherent differential in the width of the sheets ofpaper in use.

The instant invention is particularly applicable to that type ofprinting presses known as the vertical press wherein the feed boardrocks between the cylinder and the feed table which supports the stockto be printed.

When the feed board shifts from the cylinder toward the feed table, thefeed board moves in an arc and as it approaches the feed table the upperor outer end of the board is inclined slightly downwardly. During thismovement the sleeves 24 shift, and when the feed board is in positionfor the reception of a sheet of paper from the stack, the sheet isautomatically fed from the stack to the feed board. As the sheet is fedfrom the stack to the feed board the sheet slides over the gauge andcomes to rest with its rear edge on the washer 22, then as the feedboard moves toward the cylinder for transfer of the sheet thereto, thesleeves bear against the rear edge of the sheet and serve to urge thesheet in position and the shiftable characteristic of the sleevecompensates for variations in the sheets.

Although I have shown and described a certain specific embodiment of theinvention, I am fully aware that modifications thereof are possible. Myinvention, therefore, is not to be restricted except in so far as isnecessitated by the prior art and by the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. A sheet positioning means for printing presses comprising a fixedsupport, a member having a longitudinal slot receiving the support, apin supported on the member and a sleeve on the pin shiftable radiallythereof.

2. A sheet positioning means for printing presses comprising a memberadaptable for mounting on the feed board of a printing press for pivotaland shiftable movements, a pin on the member, and a sleeve on the pinmovable in any direction in a plane transversely of and in normalrelation to the pin.

3. A sheet positioning means for printing presses comprising a fixedsupport, an elongated plate having a longitudinal slot receiving thesupport, a pin supported on one end of the plate in normal relationthereto, and a sleeve supported on the pin and shiftable in a planetransversely thereof and normal thereto.

4. A sheet positioning means for printing presses comprising a verticalaxially movable support, an elongated plate having a longitudinal slotreceiving the support, a pin secured to the plate adjacent one endthereof in normal relation thereto, a sleeve on the pin shiftable in anydirection in a plane normal to the pin and a head on the pin inhibitingaxial movement of the sleeve.

5. A sheet positioning means for a printing press comprising an axiallymovable support, a plate having a longitudinal slot receiving thesupport, a pin secured to the plate adjacent one end thereof and innormal relation thereto, a washer slipped on the pin and secured to theplate, a sleeve on the pin of smaller diameter than the washer shiftablein any direction in a plane normal to the pin, a head on the pininhibiting axial movement of the sleeve, and means on the verticallymovable support for clamping the plate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS145,890 Morris Dec. 23, 1873 1,365,538 Ostner Jan. 11, 1921 1,900,064Maarsen Mar. 7, 1933 2,451,388 Hawes Oct. 12, 1948

